How to Make Baby Crib Sheets

The great thing about making your own baby crib sheets is that you can choose from thousands of fabrics available, rather than settle for the few choices at your local department store. The sheets are very easy to make, especially if you have a serger, or over-lock machine.

If you'll be using regular cotton fabric, cut the material 68" long. For flannel, cut two inches longer, since flannel will often shrink. If the material is pre-shrunk, cut to 68". With flannel, however, after being washed once, it's often very noticeable, so if the sheets are a gift you may consider cutting the flannel extra long rather than pre-shrinking.

Lay the fabric out flat on a table and cut an 8" square off of each corner. The easiest way to do this is to cut a piece of cardboard to 8"x8", then use it as a pattern to cut around. Lay the cardboard on one corner and cut around it, then move on to the next corner. After cutting the block out of each corner you are ready to stitch.

On each corner, fold the cut portion, right sides together, and angles aligning. Serge or stitch across to form a pocket. Do this for each of the four corners. Use quarter-inch elastic and stitch it to the entire perimeter of the sheet. Pull the elastic slightly, while sewing around the corners, then just stitch the sides without tugging. When you get to the second corner, again pull the elastic slightly, all the way around the corner.

If you're using a serger, the elastic can be sewn in while stitching, but be sure not to get the elastic too close to the knife. If the elastic hits the knife just once, you'll have to reinstall the elastic. To prevent this, especially if you are a beginner, serge around the perimeter, then use a single-needle machine to attach the elastic.